I have tried searching for some info on how to create a forum like the one offered here on my website. Do most webhosts offer the ability to have forums? Do they come with prebuilt forum functions? What should I look for in a webhost for hosting an informational website with a good forum?

Thanks

A pretty good forum is http://www.phpbb.com. It's free and you can download a ton of add-ons for it. All you need is a database and php enabled server.

What kind of database should I check to see if my webhost can support?

mysql

Originally Posted by SlayersOtaku

A pretty good forum is http://www.phpbb.com. It's free and you can download a ton of add-ons for it. All you need is a database and php enabled server.

I am sorry, but PHPBB is one of the worst forumscripts around. It's full of securityholes and it's the most hacked forum of all. I suggest you use SimpleMachines. It's faster and far more secure. Also it's construction and template engine is in my opinon better and therefore it's much easier to edit templates. It also comes with one-click plugin installer so you won't have to upload a thing when installing a plugin.

Originally Posted by SlayersOtaku

mysql

Wow, short reply...

To be sure what you need I advice to visit the Requirements page of SMF.
I can almost guarantee that most (payed!) hosters meet these requirements, but you could always mail your hosted or check their site if PHP 4 and MySQL is installed. It's also good to know if you're allowed to use mod_rewrite and if PHP is in SafeMode. I hope my reply was usefull for ya!

It doesn't matter what server side languages/database your host supports. You can probably find a forum that uses it.
Snitz is one that works with ASP & Access/SQL Server.

Thanks for all the replies. I hope setting up forums wont be that tough, but atleast knowing what I need will help me. Thanks

Really the best thing to do is google open-source forums. Everyone has their preference. Look at the specifics of each one and find what sounds like the best for you.

or visit www.opensourcecms.com and check the category Forums. There you can check out all the main forums.

I didn't see 'free' being one of your requirements for a forum so I'll recommend the one this site uses vBulletin. Seems like most of the better forums I visit tend to use it though my experience with it has always been from the outside looking in.